Surprise
by The Willow Maiden
Summary: AU. When Harry is rescued from the Dursley's during the summer of his 6th year, nothing could have prepared him for what awaited his arrival.


**Disclaimer: **I do not, nor ever will, own Harry Potter

Written for round two of The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition.

We the Chudley Cannons chose "Nymphadora Tonks – Changing

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AU. When Harry is rescued from the Dursley's during the summer of his 6th year, nothing could have prepared him for what awaited his arrival.

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Harry sat upright as Hedwig's soft hoot woke him from his light sleep. Glancing at his watch, he grinned. It was time. The doorbell rung, and Uncle Vernon's gruff complaints could just be heard as he muttered about polite visiting hours. It was, after all, well past dinnertime.

Creeping silently out his door and down the stairs, Harry strained to hear the quiet voice that answered Vernon's harsh demands.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

"Excuse me, that was rather rude. I think we shall try again." Here the visitor, clearly female from the tone, paused and mimed pressing a door bell singing, "ring ring!"

Vernon must have been horrified at the audacity of the girl to make fun of him. He was an established businessman and very respectable.

"I beg your pardon young Lady, you have clearly come to the wrong house. Good night, don't come back."

"Very well, if you insist on being so rude, HARRY?" She called. Grabbing his backpack from behind him, Harry calmly walked down the remaining stairs and turned the corner to face the door.

"Did someone call?" His voice was one hundred percent innocence, but his face had the slight hint of mischievousness often found present in the twin's expressions. Winking at the young lady in the door, he walked right passed his uncle and stood beside her.

"I'll be going now Uncle, please don't throw out everything I own, I will be back. Until next time," Harry finished with a cheerful wave as he stepped back and gave a short whistle. Hedwig, glad to hear her friend's call, swooped out the open window in the guest room. How she got there, Vernon would never know, but he would make Petunia spend the next few weeks repeatedly cleaning it until not even an expert on tracking owls, if there even was such a thing, could tell she had been there.

It was only when Harry and his companion rounded the corner and where out of earshot that they finally felt safe to burst out in laughter. Harry let himself be dragged down the street and into a dark alley a few blocks down.

Concealed under the cover of darkness, Tonks revealed herself. The previously long blond hair tuned short and bubblegum pink. She grew a little and slimmed down a fraction. Harry marveled at the magic of it. After all these years, magic never ceased to amaze him. Tonks was rapidly changing in front of him and it was a sight to see.

"Shall we continue?" Tonks asked, offering her arm.

"Sure, lets go."

Needless to say, when the pair arrived at the Burrow, Molly Weasley fussed over the two of them for as long as her husband would let her. Ron was there almost as soon as they arrived, but the crumbs on his jacket suggested he would have greeted them sooner had he _not_ been in the kitchen.

"Harry, mate!" He greeted with enthusiasm, "you're here at last. I swear I've been trying to get you here earlier, but Mum would hear nothing of it." Ron mimicked his mother's voice.

"_You know what Dumbledore would say to that, Ronald! Harry has to stay there to keep him safe!" _

Dodging a mock whack aimed at his head, Ron laughed and dragged Harry up the stairs.

"Hermione's up with Ginny, come on."

Harry was getting used to being tugged around, so he allowed his mate to drag him upstairs with no complaint. So caught up in the moment, he didn't notice that Tonks along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were following silently.

It was when Ron slowed down at the third floor landing that he realized something was up.

The house was silent. The Burrow was _never_ silent! If the ghoul wasn't moaning and howling like a storm, and the twins didn't sound like there was a niffler in their room, then at least their would be sounds in the kitchen as Mrs. Weasley cooked up some fabulous meal. However today, there was silence. Peering suspiciously at Ron, he followed as hid friend slowly pulled open the door to his sister's room.

When Hermione had discovered that she could get away with doing magic at the Burrow, she had been ecstatic. Forgetting all her normal morals about rules and regulations, she had pleaded with all her might to be allowed make Harry's surprise even better. After a week of begging, Arthur had given in. Hermione was right, it was about time Harry had a good time.

Hermione had gotten to work immediately, and soon Ginny's room looked completely different. Different mixes of charms and transfigurations had the room looking twice as big, and fitting the whole family and guests in quite comfortably. Perfect.

Hermione glanced over at Ginny at ten pm on a clear Monday night and smiled. It was high time to celebrate something.

Stepping into the room was like revisiting the past. Harry was brought clearly back to the time before his fourth hear at the Quidditch Word Cup. Ginny's room had almost the effect that the tent had had. However, the best part was yet to come as a crowd of people dropped their disillusionment charms and the room was filled with the cry of,

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!"

In shock, Harry could barely mumble out replies to the greeting he received from everyone. After a while though, Harry was relaxed and having a great time. Moving from person to person, he caught up on the going of the wizarding world and was about to retire for the night when the door opened again. A hooded figure stepped in and slowly lowered his cloak. Harry's breath caught in his thought as he stuttered,

"Sirius?"

"Surprise"

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Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think xD

~Willow


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